1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to toothpick dispensers in general, and more precisely to a writing pen and toothpick dispenser combination.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Toothpicks are well known, and are widely used by many people today. Some restaurants even provide their patrons with complimentary toothpicks. However the majority of food establishments, especially fast food restaurants, do not. This situation has prompted many people to carry their own supply of toothpicks. Loose toothpicks, in a purse or pocket, tend to get dirty, broken and can end up damaging clothing or injuring the person. Toothpick containers are generally inconveniently sized for carrying in a pocket and take up valuable space. Even containers having lids can open accidentally, spilling the toothpicks. A conscious effort must also be made to remember to take the items along when leaving the house, especially when carried in a coat or shirt pocket. Providing a toothpick dispenser which can be easily and conveniently carried by the user, dispense a single toothpick without removal of a cap, and one which would be less likely to be forgotten and left behind, would be a significant improvement over conventional toothpick containers. Various types of toothpick dispensers are known which dispense a single toothpick at a time. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,120, issued to C. Andonov on Feb. 25, 1941, for a dispensing device comprised of a two piece telescoping housing in which a single toothpick is ejected out an upper aperture when the top portion of the housing is depressed. The Andonov device appears to be designed for table top use and not as a portable device to be carried in a pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,686,255, issued to Robergel on Oct. 2, 1928, teaches a distributor for slender articles of elongated shape, such as needles. The upper portion of the housing is raised, with the point of a single needle engaging in a central post. When the upper portion of the housing is lowered the needle is retained on the central post, to be grasped by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,314, granted to Nelson on June 11, 1985, shows a telescoping toothpick dispenser which ejects a single toothpick out the top of the device when the top section of the housing is raised.
All the past art patents show devices having open top apertures sized for passage of the toothpicks. Were these devices to be carried in a pocket or purse, they would eventually become positioned on their side, or even inverted, where a toothpick, or portion thereof, could be partially or completely ejected. This would be a disadvantage since the projecting toothpick could damage clothing or injure the user. Both the Andonov and Nelson devices appear structured for use only as table top dispensers and not for easy storage or transportation in clothing pockets or purses. The Andonov device shows a dispenser in which the upper housing must be manually retained in position while the toothpick is grasped, else the toothpick will be drawn back into the interior of the housing. This feature would be inconvenient when used with a portable device since the portable device would generally be operated with the hands only, not placed on a table top for bracing. Were the Andonov device used with the hands only, one hand would be used to hold the lower housing while the upper housing manipulated the top housing to eject the toothpick. When the top housing was released to grasp the toothpick, the toothpick would recede back into the housing. Although the past art devices of Robergel and Nelson, have solved this problem by retaining the toothpick, or slender article, on the end of a central post when dispensed, the dispensing apertures of these two housings are apparently not designed to engage and retain the toothpicks or articles should the housings be inverted or tipped over.
The only function of these past art devices is for storage and dispensing of toothpicks, or similar items. By combining the storage of the toothpicks in an item that is generally already carried by the user would not only solve the problem of storage space, but would also help eliminate the problem of the user inadvertently forgetting to take the toothpicks along when leaving home.